Everyone plays games. We entertain and learn from them as kids, and continue to participate in many game activities as adults. Game rules and rewards provide a specific motivational framework for our behavior. If you choose to play the game, you follow the rules to get to certain outcome.

Not only kids play games - think about air miles and the incentives of particular airlines, the partnerships they have, and the rewards they provide end up modifying our travel behavior.

Leading companies are leveraging games to transform their businesses, and this is only the beginning. With so many possibilities, where does an organization begin? The first step is to determine where engagement matters most.

Adobe's products require skills and knowledge and for every new customer the question inevitably pops up - "Where should I start?" Despite the vast network of training programs and content available - both through Adobe, and independent creators, it still requires commitment and discipline to acquire the skills to use the product.

Practice makes perfect. Any why shouldn't practice be fun and rewarding? So I started a pilot for a game concept that allows trialists of Photoshop to earn points and obtain recognition through achievement levels and awards. The pilot’s aim is to promote learning and increased knowledge of Photoshop in the area of photography, and facilitate the learning experience through a gamification concept. The more customers learn about what can be done with Photoshop, the more rewards they can obtain.

Check it out - LevelUp for Photoshop is game of missions, levels, and points that lead you through the application of basic techniques to improve your photos. In a series of steps - taking you through the very basic of fixed red eyes, through changing backgrounds and creative composite photos, LevelUp for Photoshop show you how to make your already good photos great. As with any game, we are also allowing players to compete - not only for a prize, but also among themselves. Our game page hosts both daily and monthly leaderboards.

Making a game is difficult - it takes some effort to design its rules, and to manage the actual game. So we started with just a few levels as an experiment. Our Advanced Technology Group already has a number of additional levels ready, and if we see the positive impact of the game to promote learning and use of Photoshop, we are likely to be releasing them next year. You can see a video from Mira Dontcheva on Adobe TV taking about our games. I have to thank the teams at Resource Interactive and Bunchball for developing the game for us! We wouldn't have been where we are without their talent.

So far feedback from our customers has been positive - even people who are not entirely new to Photoshop can learn about a tool or two. Since the game is available to everyone with Photoshop CS5 - trial or a fully licensed version, it gives everyone a chance to try it. What have you got to lose?Take it for a spin and you might even win Adobe CS5.5 Master Collection.